Science and Art

1. Coloring SpaceFlash
This piece is intended to provoke thought about how the two realms of color - in art and in space - intersect and diverge. It explores the similarities of how these different types of images are made, as well as discusses the ways in which they differ. We invite you to explore these images and what they represent both on their own and when presented as a comparison (or contrast?) to another in a separate field.

2. Sight Lines
This online exhibition explores the research processes used by art conservators and astrophysicists, featuring X-ray images of the cosmos from NASA's orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory and X-ray images of modern paintings from the Harvard Art Museum.

3. From the Earth to the HeavensFlash
There are patterns of beauty across Earth and throughout the Universe. This activity invites you to compare aerial photographs of our planet taken by Yann Arthus-Bertrand to X-ray images of the cosmos taken by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. We hope these pairings provide an intriguing new way to view the striking visual patterns made by these very different objects.

Astronomy in Context

4. The Periodic Tables Flash | PDF
Interact with this graphic representation of the "astronomers" version of the periodic table of elements. What leaps out of the astronomers' table is that the simplest elements, hydrogen and helium, are by far the most abundant.

5. Telescopes & LightFlash
Astronomers have built telescopes and detectors that can see far
beyond the type of radiation we can detect with the human eye. Ranging
from long radio and infrared waves to shorter wavelengths of ultraviolet,
X-rays, and gamma rays that reveal the hottest parts of the Universe,
modern astronomy is really one of telescopic diversity.

6. Constellations: Wonders Within
Four hundred years ago, Galileo turned his telescope to the sky and forever changed how humanity views its place in the cosmos. Since then, astronomers have been building telescopes both in space and on the ground -- to help further our understanding of the Universe. This series of posters represents some of the most dramatic images made by combining data from the best of modern telescopes.

7. The Universe in a Jelly Bean JarFlash |
PDF
Most of the Universe is dark. The protons, neutrons and electrons that make up the stars, planets and us represent only a small fraction of the mass and energy of the Universe. The rest is dark and mysterious. How can X-rays help reveal the secrets of this darkness?
See also: The Universe Darkly and The Universe.

The Chandra Mission

8. The UnexpectedHtml |
PDF
Looking back on the accomplishments of NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory over the past dozen years, and trying to predict what it will find in the future, one thing is certain: we can expect the unexpected. This piece describes some of the expectations for the Chandra mission along with some of the unexpected discoveries.

9. Chandra's Top Ten Scientific DiscoveriesFlash |
PDF
Here we list some of Chandra's most significant discoveries. These and other successes are prologues to what can be achieved by Chandra in the future. While expanding the realm of the known, Chandra is also raising new questions and pointing the way for future exploration of the high-energy Universe.

Chandra By Science Topic

13. The Galactic CenterFlash
A panoramic X-ray view, covering a 900 by 400 light year swath, shows that the center of the Galaxy is a teeming and tumultuous place.

14. Locating Historic Supernovas in the Milky WayFlash | htmlIn this feature, explore the approximate positions and names (shown in orange) of historical supernovas in the Milky Way. These are stellar explosions that are thought to have occurred in the last 2,000 years and may have been seen by early astronomers.

15. The Truth and Lies about Black HolesFlash | htmlBlack holes have a bad reputation. After all, something that could swallow you completely sounds pretty scary. They're invisible, so maybe there's one just around the corner and we dont know it! Also, arent they enormous vacuum cleaners capable of destroying anything that gets near them? Once the black hole starts pulling on something, isnt that just a one-way ticket to oblivion? Well, not all of these things are exactly true. (requires flash)
See also: Video Podcast

16. Blasts From The Past: Historic SupernovasFlash |
PDF | html Every 50 years or so, a star in our Galaxy blows itself apart in a supernova explosion, one of the most violent events in the Universe. The force of these explosions produces spectacular light shows. Explosions in past millennia have been bright enough to catch the attention of early astronomers hundreds of years before the telescope had been invented. (requires flash)
See also: Historic Supernovas article

20.Supernova Remnants with Chandra(305 Kb requires flash) | html The Chandra X-ray Observatory has provided spectacular examples of the remnants of one of the most dramatic events in the cosmos: supernovas that signal the end of massive stars.

Chandra Image Collections by Date

23. Chandra Image Features: Zoom inFlash Come fly with Chandra! Use this Flash tool to zoom in on the magnetic tornado around the neutron star at the center of the Crab Nebula, surf a supernova shock wave, venture close to a supermassive black hole, or cruise along a high-energy jet that is blasting out of a nearby galaxy.See the latest Chandra Images with Zoom In feature. (requires flash)

29. Top Ten for Chandra's FourthFlash
|
html Among its array of revelations in 2002-2003, news about black holes pulled in most of the headlines with four of the top five stories from Chandra during its fourth year in operation.

30. Chandra's Top 10 of 2001Flash Now in its third year of observation, Chandra has observed not only strange stars, but black holes, galaxies, and other cosmic phenomena. Taking a look back, here are some of the highlights of the
past year with Chandra.

31. Chandra's 2nd AnniversaryFlash
|
html For the 2nd anniversary of Chandra's launch and First Light, we bring you a look back at some of the spectacular observations that Chandra has taken.